Remembrance
by Jay FireStrun
Summary: The Prophecy of Seven has been completed, and Percy and Annabeth are back in Camp Half-Blood. They have tried to move on, but find themselves haunted by the memories of Tartarus; of Damasen and Bob. Percy, having been in contact with Jason Grace for a few weeks, has decided to make a trip to Camp Jupiter with Annabeth. Will the two demigods finally find closure? {ON HIATUS}
1. The Duel

Percy hated his life. Honestly. He'd managed to survive a fall in the Styx, and several fights with gods and Titans alike, and even managed to defeat the Giants with the help of his friends. He'd faced down Tartarus and Gaia themselves, and had helped unite the Greeks and Romans, who had been bitter enemies for millenia. He'd risked so much for his friends, his family, and even people he'd never met before, all so the world could keep on spinning. So that mortals could live their lives without the fear that all demigods carried.

He had an amazing girlfriend, and a multitude of amazing family members; blood and otherwise. Great friends and even great enemies. He was a hero of Olympus, a leader of demigods, and a champion of mortality. He'd turned down immortality because he couldn't bear the idea of being without them, of being without her: Annabeth Chase. What he wouldn't give to have her back in his arms; to feel her skin, hear her voice, look into her eyes. What he couldn't give to go back and change everything.

Instead, he was stuck here, alone, dying from wounds he couldn't heal. Annabeth was gods only knew where, and Merion...Merion was with her, so at least she would be safe. Percy had forced them to go on ahead, erecting a wall of solid water between himself and his girlfriend. He'd heard Merion encouraging her to follow him, had sensed when she was no longer in harm's way. Percy had turned his attention back to the monster horde that had been plaguing them since leaving Merion's pasture in Northern California.

Merion, a son of Bob - Iapetus, and a mortal. The only demititan Percy had ever met. The dude had serious powers; healing, some magic, vast amounts of stamina, and he had managed to create wards strong enough to deter monsters from finding him. He was powerful, and had known Annabeth and Percy by their full names, claiming to have had a vision the night before about their visit.

A poisonous claw swiping at his face had brough him out of his daze, and he'd started fighting and slashing, rolling on and under his enemies as he attempted to slow them down; to give Annabeth and Merion the chance to get far enough away. He had cared little for the injuries he sustained while fighting, in fact all he had cared about was that he'd been proving to be a perfect distraction. He never saw the laistrygonian's club swing, never felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. All he felt was a crushing blow to the back of his head, and then he'd passed out. Amazingly, the monsters hadn't gone any further on trying to kill him; they'd continued on after his wall of water crashed down.

The knowledge that he wasn't even their main target is what made his situation all the more disheartening. No ambrosia in his pocket anymore, that had been used up to heal Annabeth and himself on the journey across the country. He reached into his pocket just to make sure, and found the empty Ziploc bag right where he'd left it. His body was getting weaker, and even though he kept crawling, kept moving, he knew he'd never get back up.

Brought down by a horde of monsters and being killed like that was one thing, but dying after being left behind because he wasn't even their target was another. Dying alone and from something so miniscule compared to facing primordials and gods and everything in between was something he'd never considered. His thoughts drifted back to Annabeth, and he thought of all the things he'd ever wanted to say, all the things he'd felt but never shared. He'd wanted to try and put into words how much she meant to him, what he'd do for her, and most of all, tell her that _she_ was the one who had kept him grounded during his dip in the Styx. He knew she already knew, but telling her was something entirely different. Actually _saying_ the words.

And Merion...Merion was someone Percy had wanted to sit down and have a long chat with; explain in full what happened to Iapetus, how exactly he'd died. What he'd died for. How it was Percy's fault that Merion's father was dead. The man had been so kind and helpful to the two people he should have hated the most. But in response to Percy's curiousity, Merion had merely shrugged, "Why would I waste time being angry at people I've never met? Hatred is a useless emotion, an all consuming state of mind that I truly see no point in."

He'd treated Percy and Annabeth like old friends. Percy rolled onto his back and stared up at the sky, breathing raggedly and shallowly. His eyesight was darkening, and he knew what would come next. He'd been around death for so long that he knew, in his heart he knew what it felt like. With one giant heave of breath, Percy closed his eyes, and let go; let go of the pain, let go of the suffering, and let go of his mortal coil. But in that instant, the instant Perseus Jackson accepted death, Percy's eyes shot wide open and he was looking up at a brillaint white cathedral, with white light splaying in from the many open archways. A hand had clapped onto his shoulder.

Percy looked straight into the face of Luke Castellan, "Come on, Jackson. Don't give up that easily. You got more fight in you than that, kid."

"Yeah, don't let one little fight knock you down. You've got to keep going, Percy," the soft voice of Silena Beauregard spoke up.

"Honestly, Percy, I thought you had more in you than that. You are a demigod worthy of the constellations, Percy. A hero more valiant and strong than Hercules ever was," Zoe Nightshade smiled at him, and winked, stars glittering in her dark hair and in her eyes.

"I know it's going to be hard, Percy, but think of those two people relying on you. Think of Annabeth. She and Merion need you, now more than ever. You have to get to Camp Jupiter, Percy. Get your closure. Like I got mine," Bianca di Angelo smiled, looking refreshed and rejuvenated in her brand new body.

"I know good craftsmanship, Perce, and you are definitely one of the finest demigods out there. You've got heart and spirit. You've created water from frickin' seashells, man. You've caused an earthquake! You made water appear out of nowhere! Percy, just think of all you can do. Look deep inside yourself, and make that water pop out of the ground. _Make_ it listen to you. You are the son of Poseidon, Lord of the Ocean. Water is your birthright; your element," Beckendorf was crouched beside Luke, and on a silent nod the two older demigods lifted Percy to his feet, and his vision ended.

Percy stared down at the small spring at his feet, watched the water run up his leg and rejuvenate him. He closed his eyes and let it work its magic. He always felt alive when he was around water. The son of Poseidon roused himself from his stupor and raised Riptide, running after the monsters and Merion and Annabeth most of all. He'd almost given in.

Looking back, he could've sworn he'd seen all of the demigods he'd ever known, everyone he'd ever lost, standing in one determined line behind him, nodding approval and urging him on. He blinked and they were gone.


	2. Back Again

_**A/N: Okay, so that first chapter was really just a warm-up into the story. I suspect the rest of the chapters to me**_ **much** ** _longer and more descriptive. I wanted to keep everyone a tad confused._**

 ** _*wink*_**

 ** _**Disclaimer** I do not own any of Percy Jackson and the Olympians._**

Percy caught up with the monsters a little faster than he would have liked. He glared at them as he attacked from behind, reaping a deadly toll on their number while continuing to run. He managed to leap over a few that were only wounded; they had encountered some hostile force and were recuperating.

Percy wasted no more time in fighting them, and though a few monsters gave chase his rejuvenation from the spring allowed him to outpace them. All too quickly he was alone again, racing forward into the unknown. His vision had led him to believe it was still early afternoon, but given how low in the horizon the sun was, he realized that it was actually much closer to late evening.

Percy Jackson caught sight of a silver glare in the distance, and as he neared it he recognized it as one of Merion's wards. So he was getting close! The find re-invigorated him, and he pushed on, digging into reserves of stamina he didn't know he had. He heard the sounds of monsters behind him and knew that if he didn't find Annabeth and Merion soon, he'd find himself in a familiar situation. He silently thanked Zeus he'd had the foresight to destroy the ward.

 _Elsewhere_

"I'm sorry about your boyfriend, Ms. Chase, but we simply cannot stay here any longer. Any moment now those monsters could catch our scent. _Your_ scent." Merion was exasperated with her. She just wouldn't listen to reason, an amazing feat given her parentage.

"I am _not_ leaving him behind, Merion. I'm sorry, but Percy has been with me through too much for me to simply abandon him. No, if he's not back soon we're heading back," Annabeth said firmly, crossing her arms. Despite the nagging voice in her head telling her Merion was right, there was no way she'd leave him. Not again.

"I'm sorry, Merion, but it's not happening," Annabeth said firmly, before drawing her sword suspiciously at an unfamiliar sound. Merion grabbed his staff and leveled it, ready to spring into action. A dark shape came bursting toward them, cresting a small rise in doing so.

Annabeth recognized the dark hair immediately, "Hah! There's Percy now! I knew it," she told the son of Iapetus sassily, sheathing her sword and waiting for Percy. Percy crashed into Annabeth, hugging her tightly. Merion eyed him warily, relaxing his stance and remaining silent for the time being. He didn't feel like there was much he could offer in the way of warm welcomings, since he'd been opting to abandon the son of Poseidon mere seconds ago.

Percy pulled away first, smiling brightly, "So. I vote we move on to Berkeley, like, now. That horde is still hot on our tails. We'll be able to give those guards at the tunnel a little skirmish. They could use the wake-up call," Percy grinned, waving the small group onward. Annabeth fell in step beside Percy, while Merion stayed a few paces behind, using his sensor ability to check for any signs of pursuit.

* * *

The trio worked their way through the hilly countryside, eventually coming to a stretch of highway Percy recognized. He pointed up the steep cliff face, "That's where I was last time I found this place. I jumped on Stheno's Bargain-Mart platter and rode it like a sled down to the buildings there, and then skidded along quite a ways." Sensing Annabeth's impressed gaze and Merion's confusion, Percy turned to the demititan, "Back then I bore the Curse of Achilles. I was indestructable but for one weakness," he clarified, though Merion was already nodding in understanding.

This son of Poseidon had certainly been through a lot, Merion realized. From the stories he and Annabeth told, Merion found himself almost believing they were heroes straight out of the Classical age. Two heroes on par with Herakles and the first Perseus. He was beginning to believe he had misjudged Percy the first time they'd met. He'd assumed Percy was every bit as arrogant as he had every right to be, but now he saw the truth. Unlike other heroes Merion had met, Percy didn't embellish his stories. He didn't exaggerate the events or make himself seem more heroic. In every recounting of his past that he told (almost always at Merion's request, rarely ever of his own volition) he brought up more flaws than successes, which only made Annabeth's corrections even more significant.

After three days spent in their company, Merion had begun to see what his father had seen. If they asked it of him, Merion would gladly return to Camp Half-Blood with them. Percy's sacrifice yesterday had proven to him just how much Percy cared about him, despite having only just met him. The entire time they'd been thinking, they'd gotten closer to the tunnel and now, Merion saw the two soldiers on guard out front. Percy waved in greeting and though the legionnaires appeared at first to be ready to attack, upon seeing Percy at a closer range their _pilums_ lowered.

"Jackson? Well isn't this a surprise! We weren't expecting you to come visit so soon!" the legionnaire on the left exclaimed, grasping Percy's forearm tightly in his hand. Percy grasped his forearm in the same way, then repeated the gesture with the legionnaire on the right. The legionnaires settled for nods in Annabeth and Merion's direction. A roar interrupted their introduction, and the legionnaires groaned, "I recall the last time you came here you had two gorgons on your tail. What is it this time?"

"One laistrygonian, two hellhounds, and a few minor monsters," Percy answered, as simply as if he were listing off pizza toppings. The legionnaire who'd spoken first straightened his helm.

"Oh, is that _all_?" He asked sarcastically. He gestured to the girl across from him, "Blow the conch," he instructed, and the girl reached for her equipment belt, pulling the shell to her lips. A single blast resonated, and two more legionnaires raced out of the tunnel, "We have a few sentries stationed just within the tunnel in case you showed up again, Jackson," the legionnaire said with a smile, "Now get in. We'll deal with them."

Percy nodded and entered the tunnel with Merion and Annabeth just behind. Annabeth's voice called to him from a few feet behind, "Are we just going to leave them?"

"There's four of them, and I recognized the guy. He's a legacy of Mars; he'll do just fine. The others are veteran legionnaires, and with four of them they'll be able to implement their shield lock and javelin throws," Percy reassured her as they forged ahead. They emerged on the other side of the tunnel, and Percy had to take a second to take in the beauty of Camp Jupiter. It was just as he'd left it, except the aqueduct that had been damaged during his fight with Polybotes was fully repaired, and the damage done to the Forum from the _eidolon_ that had possessed Leo seemed to be repaired as well.

Percy felt Annabeth's hand on his shoulder, and a silent conversation passed between them. They had only taken a few steps when a large dragon blocked out the sun. It landed just in front of them and then became Frank; everyone's favorite shapeshifter. Merion's jaw dropped as Percy and Frank rushed toward each other, embracing tightly. Annabeth waited a second, and then joined in the hug. Merion was awestruck, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. He gestured to Frank and then to the place the dragon had landed, seeking an explanation, "Merion, this is Frank Zhang. Legacy of Poseidon and son of Mars," Percy introduced from their hug, "Frank, this is Merion, son of the Titan Lord Iapetus."

Now it was Frank's turn to look impressed, something that left Merion feeling confused. _Frank_ was the one that could change into a dragon! All Merion could do was fight well with a staff/spear, heal wounds, and use a bit of magic. Biiiiig difference in his eyes. Frank pulled away from the hug, and looked at the two Greeks before him, "Aw Mars, Hazel is going to be sad she missed out on this! What are you guys doing here?"

"We're here to help build Iapetus and Damasen's temples. I got Jason's letter," Percy informed him, and Frank nodded gravely, leading the way. His praetor's cape billowed behind him, and Percy shook his head in wonder, "You totally rock that thing, Frank. I'm serious. You look much better in it than I ever did. Better than Jason too, I bet." Frank blushed at the compliment, waving it off nonchalantly. In truth, he was always a little afraid he looked awkward in it. Not that he felt awkward anymore, that feeling had gone away awhile back. He was more confident in his role, and it showed in the way he held himself.

In response to Percy's explanation, Frank sighed, "It's not exactly a popular construction project. All we've ever known about Iapetus is how deserving he is of being called _the Piercer._ You and Annabeth, and Nico I suppose, are the only ones who've seen his gentler side. As for Damasen...in truth not many of those in the Legion have heard of him. They only know him as a giant and giants ar-were our enemies. Jason had to spend weeks reminding everyone in the Senate that they sacrificed themselves to Tartarus himself so you two could escape and proceed to rally the gods into action against the giants. Hazel helped as much as she could, as Reyna and I made her an officer in our new cavalry regiment and gave her a spot in the Senate.

"Eventually, they came to a consensus, and the temples are to be built just below the temple to Jupiter. Grand designs, too," Frank finished, and Percy and Annabeth grinned at each other. Finally, some sort of monument would be erected for those two heroes.

Percy felt a nagging question and couldn't resist asking it, "Nicer than the Neptune temple?" To which Frank and Percy laughed. Annabeth didn't remember the Poseidon temple at all; she'd been a little busy with Reyna at the time.

"Yes. Much, much nicer than the Neptune temple," Frank promised with a grin. Merion had been silent for all of this interaction, and now, sensing his opportunity, addressed Frank directly.

"When you shift into another creature, do you find yourself hungering for their favorite food?" Frank eyed Merion a little curiously and waited for the other man to elaborate, "Like, if you were to shift into a dung beetle...?"

 _ **A/N: Honestly, I don't know what's wrong with me. I usually write really long chapters but for this...I can't seem to pull my thoughts together. I think it's the prospect of impending doom from the idea of writing for so many canon characters all at once, I don't know.**_

 _ **I promise to try and get better, alright? Don't forget to leave a review if you want, maybe a favorite if ya think I'm good for it. ;)**_


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